Live: Up to 500 schools to shut in France as student protests continue

The brief

Up to 500 schools are expected to close across France on Monday as student protests continue, according to the country's Education Minister Édouard Geffray. The protests over high teacher absence rates, overlong school days and dilapidated facilities began at a Paris school on September 17 but grew into a nationwide movement last week. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.